Corralling boat lift
When I built a new dock the boat lift was moved to the top of the pilings of the boat house, making the cables very long ( about 16 feet) particularly at low tide. ( We have about 6 feet of tide change). If I I return during an outgoing tide, the tidal flow plus the usual flow of the river, carries the lift cradle 5-6 feet from vertical. Once the boat is over the cradle the cable winder does not wind the cables in the spiral slots.
Other than adding weights to the lift (it would take a lot of weight), and adding bars to catch on the pilings are their any other ways to corral the lift?
Other than adding weights to the lift (it would take a lot of weight), and adding bars to catch on the pilings are their any other ways to corral the lift?
Replies
If you know once you float the boat put the lift up, if you don't have one already upgrade to a remote control.
But those doors don't drift off.
It seems that your only solution is to add bars to the lift, so the lift does not drift past the pilings. If your pilings are fairly plum, just take the measurements from the lift (I-beam) to the pilings. Have a local welder fabricate the bars from heavy wall 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 tubular aluminum and bolt the bars to the lift's I-beam. You'll need to take some pics with your phone and take that with your measurements to the fabricator.
Got ahead of myself. Before you take measurements, make sure your cables are in the correct position. Put the boat on the lift, then take your measurements. I'd leave about 2 or 3 inches of slack between the bars and the pilings. You don't want the bars to be in contact with the pilings while you are letting the boat up or down.